Carillion

"Carillion had taken over this large London teaching hospital’s portering, cleaning and other services. Its cuts meant there were too few porters to fetch and wheel soaring numbers of patients, leaving wards and operating theatres impatient at delays. Before outsourcing, there had been 16 porters, but they were cut to 11. This is how outsourcing works – cutting staff and holding down pay. Agency workers were paid less than the old staff Carillion had taken over.

By chance, I was working back on the same hospital site where I had worked as a ward orderly 30 years before on the same grade. Before, I had belonged to the NHS; now, at one remove, I belonged to Carillion. When I took my payslips to the Institute for Fiscal Studies to compare the value of my wages with 30 years earlier, they found Carillion was paying me, in real terms, nearly a third less. That was concrete proof of how wages at the bottom had been held down since the 1980s while wages at the top skyrocketed, causing an explosion in inequality."

All the Carillion workers are being offered jobs by the councils or other companies which are taking over their work.
Really, durhamjen, I'm sure the people I work with frantically trying to get their CVs out to ensure they can pay their bills will be pleased to hear this. Perhaps you could post a link to the proof of these jobs offers so I can set their minds at rest on Monday.
Some will be TUPEd across to new employers, but I've been TUPEd a couple of times and I know you only have a guarantee of employment for a few months, then the new company can make you redundant. It suited me when it happened to me, but it is not secure employment by any means. And most of us in my building have no clear idea of what's happening at all yet, so as I say, if you know more, we would be pleased to hear it.

Polly also wrote about how dreadful it was working as a hospital porter when they were employed by the NHS though didn't she? She was pretty brutal about the medical staff too and the way they treated the porters.

That sounds as if she is fairly even handed then.

Have you read the article, Primrose?

I thought that Crossrail is a success story?

Have you read the book Jen?

I wouldn't say she's even-handed as such, more like someone who knows how to exploit the low paid for her own financial gain.

She was pretty brutal about the medical staff too and the way they treated the porters.

When she'd finished her Masters degree my DD had a temporary job at the school where I worked; she was doing the photocopying.

As far as I was concerned, the teaching staff were all absolutely nice, fine people but DD said that some of them could turn really nasty about their photocopying!

Where you are in the hierarchy can subject you to completely different treatment from that experienced by people who are differently placed. It may also promote a completely different 'view' of what an individual is like as a person.

Polly would probably found the medics to be lovely if she'd met them socially...

I wouldn't say she's even-handed as such, more like someone who knows how to exploit the low paid for her own financial gain.

That is a disgusting statement, Primrose.

And to think that you defend Daily Mail journalists...

And to think that you defend Daily Mail journalists
What Maizie? Perhaps you could explain that I think you're mistaken.

No, I haven't read the book, Primrose. Have you? Have you read the article?

Polly is certainly an expert on inequality. Perhaps that's why she chose to send her children to private school.
Paid for by the royalties of her books about inequality perhaps?
I really don't understand why you take her seriously Jen.

I wouldn't say she's even-handed as such, more like someone who knows how to exploit the low paid for her own financial gain.

You're as much entitled to your opinion as any of us but she has never come across to me in that way.

Crossrail - a success?

You were very defensive about the DM's gutter journalism a few weeks ago, as I recall, Primrose.

Do you think someone can only write about the condition of low paid workers if they are 'one of them'? Or only express any concern if one is poor ones self?

What a strange world view...

So Polly Toynbee working for and being paid by Carillion is her exploiting the low-paid for financial gain?
In that case so is every single journalist who tries to find out about exploitation of the low-paid.
But not Carillion, they wouldn't ever do that!
What do you think about the bit that said she took her payslips to the IFS?

" When I took my payslips to the Institute for Fiscal Studies to compare the value of my wages with 30 years earlier, they found Carillion was paying me, in real terms, nearly a third less. That was concrete proof of how wages at the bottom had been held down since the 1980s while wages at the top skyrocketed, causing an explosion in inequality."

Who is doing the exploitation there?

The answer's no to both your questions Maizie. Can you point me to my defence of gutter journalism a few weeks ago? That sounds very out of character. Are you sure it's not just one of those puerile comments posters make about me?

Just wanted to chip in and say if it's the book I'm thinking about, it was published almost 15 years ago. Not only has the political landscape changed, Carillion as a company was less than 5 years old and would not be anything like the mammoth company it is now. It hadn't even taken over Mowlem or MacAlpine back then. I'm not saying it was a good employer, but that it was just getting started.

Exactly. It hasn't got any better since Polly Toynbee worked there.

Another profit warning.

newsthump.com/2018/01/20/government-puts-in-massive-carpet-order-following-carpetrights-profit-warning/

Two years ago Carillion wanted Balfour Beatty to go in with it. Fortunately Balfour Beatty didn't. They have problems with strikes on Crossrail.

Some good news for Carillion workers on Network Rail.

www.constructionenquirer.com/2018/01/19/network-rail-to-pay-carillion-workers-for-next-three-months/

I can't find the thread as it's one of many and the Gnet search facility is terrible.

I'm absolutely positive it was you, but tell me if I am wrong in thinking that you have a daughter who is a journalist?

Sorry, posted too soon. Last post is to Primrose

Not me Maizie. I have 2 daughters and neither is a journalist. I don't think I've disclosed their occupations on GN, certainly one has an occupation that could be quite identifying.

In which case, Primrose, I seem to have mistaken you for someone else. For which I apolgise.

Thanks Maizie. Much appreciated.